Positive Change

gga

There was a federal election in Australia, just last weekend: the 24th
of November. This election went a lot better than the last few years
worth of elections. John Howard finally lost. After 11
years in power and four election victories against either ineffective
or insane Labor opposition, the mean, evil little troll has finally
been ejected from power.

It was very satisfying to also see him so thoroughly ejected from
power: only the second sitting prime minister to lose his seat. Ahhh…

And Australia can now try to once again become a better place to live.

There has been much discussion over why Howard deserved to lose. Many
have correctly pointed out that for all his claims he was not a
leader who championed much reform; that the continuous 11 years of
economic growth was really part of a longer 16 years of growth started
under the previous Labor government due to actual economic reforms;
that he no longer offered any kind of vision for the future of
Australia; that his threat to hand over to Peter Costello
was seen as just that: a threat; that it was just his ‘turn’ to go.

For me, while all of those (except the last) are true, none come close
to the real reason why I have always been adamantly against Howard,
and why I am particularly happy that he has now been voted out.

Howard was a leader who created a government of isolation, selfishness
and meanness. And of course this sort of attitude at the level of the
federal government can’t help but affect the entire shape and
direction of Australian society.

Consider a handful of events under Howard’s watch:

Pauline Hanson spewed her racist, xenophobic vitriol
without any form of condemnation from the government, permanently
damaging our image and reputation throughout Asia.

Refugees aboard the MV Tampa were prevented from
entering the country, extending our damaged reputation to the entire
world.

The GST, a fundamentally inequitable tax hated by both
small businesses and the poor alike, was introduced. When there was
apparently no need as all the earnings were returned as tax cuts.

Children nearly drowning while on their way to the
Australia was used as a wedge to further incite anger against
refugees.

A deeply unpopular war
was started with the sole
justification of supporting George W. Bush.

Tax cuts were the sole mechanism of delivering benefits to the
population: a mechanism that always favours the rich over the poor.

University educations became a mechanism to turn a profit.

The enormous earnings from the global resources boom was squandered
without any investment in social services.

The Australian republic movement was deeply damaged.

There was absolutely zero progress on Aboriginal reconciliation:
capped with the ‘intervention.’ Itself worryingly reminiscent of the
Stolen Generation.

Ultimately, this was a government of the mean to benefit the
rich. Under Howard and his cronies Australia became a more selfish
country, a more racist country, a country of people who would not do
something just because it was the right thing to do.

I was always against Howard because of the damage I thought his
ideaology was doing to the fabric of our society. In the end, my
theory is that he lost because people finally saw him for what he
was. WorkChoices showed that he didn’t really care about his
‘battlers.’ And also, I believe that people didn’t want to be selfish
and scared anymore. The country wanted a more positive view of the
future. You can only be terrified of your neighbour for so long before
you decide that it’s enough.

It is interesting to see that others are also coming to this
conclusion. My fervent hope is that his legacy is seen for what it
really is. In the end, the country will be a better place without
him. Hopefully, it won’t take too long for the damage to be repaired.